Local doctors are encouraging residents without a primary care provider — such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner — to register with the Health Connect Registry, a provincial service that helps connect patients with available primary care providers in their community. You can also register family members or a person in your care.
The Health Connect Registry is a vital tool that helps healthcare teams better understand and plan for local needs, strengthening access to primary care across the region.
"If you do not currently have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, registering with the Health Connect Registry is an important first step toward accessing care," said Elk Valley Hospital chief of staff Dr. Tara Chalmers-Nixon. "It helps us better understand and plan for the needs of our communities, and provides an organized, effective way to connect people with a primary care provider as spaces become available."
Registration takes less than five minutes and requires the following information:
· Personal Health Number (PHN) from your BC Services Card
· Home address
· Email address and phone number
Once registered, individuals will remain on the Health Connect Registry until a provider becomes available in their community, at which point they will be contacted with information on next steps. While matching generally follows a first-come, first-served process, priority is given to individuals with urgent health needs.
Residents can register online at www.healthlinkbc.ca/find-care/health-connect-registry. If you need help with your registration or have questions, you can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 for support. Translation services are available in over 130 languages. For the deaf and the hard of hearing, contact 8-1-1 using Video Relay Services (VRS) or Teletypewriter Relay Services (TTY) at 7-1-1.
